"It started a year ago," the King began. "The Light Seekers discovered writings they believed to be a historical text from over seven thousand years ago."

A soft rap on the door interrupted them.

The King grimaced. "Enter."

Gerino opened the door, carrying a sack. "Apologies, Your Majesty, but I have the weapons of..." he paused, unsure of the correct form of address for SG-1. "Given the circumstances I didn't want to delay returning them until you had finished talking."

Corfy gestured for him to stay. "Lord Captain, if you could remain. I'm updating them on the Seekers."

The guard nodded. "Also the Queen and Princess have returned to the castle, Sire."

Jack rose to take the bag and began handing out the weapons. Both the King and Lord Captain took note of how at ease the team were with handling them, their training evident in how they all automatically checked the zats', and the safety switches and clips of the nine mils before sliding them into their holsters. Not that proof of their combat skills were in question after their actions in the throne room, but it was nice to know they had a wider range of training.

The general paused when he had only one gun left, holding it out to Keelah with a questioning eye.

Keelah barely hesitated in taking it, clipping it into the slot of her thigh holster. "You were saying, Corfy?"

The King gave a bewildered headshake to see how comfortable his sister was with the alien weapon then continued. "The Seekers translated the text. It totally turned their beliefs upside down. It claimed that the ancestors of the Seekers were not the pacifists they became of modern day, but formidable warriors and servants of the gods called Jaffa. That 'uneg' was an actual being, not a metaphorical symbol of finding inner peace. This god apparently ruled over the people with an iron fist, aided by his supposed magical powers. And then one day left, vowing to return as a more powerful god."

"'Uneg' you say?" Daniel arched an eyebrow that was matched by Keelah and Annika. They all recalled Daniel's frustration of the Canopic jar that had revealed just a name and the speculation earlier.

Annika gave a wry grin. "Well, that clinches who we're dealing with."

"You know of this...god?" Gerino asked

"Oh, he's not a god," Jack drawled. "But keep going, we'll fill you in on the snakeheads after."

"The Seekers petitioned the Crown to decree that all the people should worship the god now that they had documented proof of his existence."

The monarch's tone told Jack what he thought of that. "I take it you told them to go to hell?"

"I was a little more diplomatic about it, but yes. If they wished to believe that uneg was more than a spiritual philosophy that was their choice, but I wouldn't make it a mandatory law that the rest of the population accept it."

"How did they take that?" Sam asked.

"They closed their doors," Corfy shrugged. "I thought they were merely sulking. I underestimated their...devotion."

"They began preparing for his return, training as Jaffa," Teal'c surmised.

Corfy's eyes widened. "Yes, they did. Although no one outside of the order knew that until two months ago. How did you know?"

"Let's just say," Annika jumped in, "that Teal'c has insider information on how Jaffa act." There was no point in having Teal'c admit that he was in fact a Jaffa, it would just complicate the current circumstances. "What happened two months ago?"

"The Seekers again came to the Court, this time with a device that was steadily pulsing. They claimed it had activated the day before and it was a signal that the god's return would be imminent. I thought it was a hoax. An act of desperation to convince me this god was real."

"That must have been when the receiver of the homing beacon activated." Daniel looked to Teal'c for confirmation.

The Jaffa asked for a description of what the device had looked like. After the King gave the details, he nodded agreeing with the archaeologist.

"Told them to go to hell again?" Jack guessed.

"And I wasn't so cordial that time. But they didn't return to the cloister. Instead they started preaching in the streets. More a nuisance than anything, but there were a few scuffles with the town folk who took offense to their proclamations. It was then that we learned the Seekers truly were no longer pacifists. I should have put a stop to it then, but they still didn't seem like a threat. They weren't violent, only acted in self-defense. If I had stepped in, then I would have been denying them their right to their beliefs, breaking the very law I had based my original refusal on. Nevertheless I ordered the King's Guards to keep a close eye on them and report anything unusual."

"What began to filter through," Gerino took up the tale, "was that there was a smug arrogance about them...and an air of anticipation. Then thirteen days ago a shaft of light appeared in the castle courtyard. When the light dissipated, there was a unit of armed Seekers surrounding a man with golden eyes and a voice...not human, who demanded to see His Majesty."

"Actually," Corfy sighed, "he demanded that I come to him. He proclaimed that he was our god and that I had to relinquish my position as ruler to him. If I didn't he would destroy the town and everyone in it. He had...has," he corrected, for the threat was still very much present, "a ship in orbit with the weapons locked on, ready to fire in a moment."

"We fired on him but he and the Seekers were protected by some sort of force-field," the Lord Captain's voice was grim. "Our weapon's fire ricocheted off, injuring our own men."

"He must have extended the radius of a personal shield," Sam surmised.

"I don't suppose you tried throwing a knife at him?" Jack asked.

The King and Lord Captain exchanged looks, each trying to remember the specifics.

"I don't think so," Corfy replied slowly. "Why?"

"The shields we've experienced allow slower moving weapons like arrows and knives through," Sam explained, "but stop high velocity projectiles."

"My men did try to tackle the Seekers," Gerino recalled. "They just bounced off the shield knocked unconscious."

"What else did Uneg demand?" Annika had been studying the man's aura. There was an anger and worry that went deeper than what a King felt for his people.

"To establish his position to the people and to show our complete...devotion," Corfy spat out the word, "he intends to take Xa'bella as his consort. The only reason she's been 'allowed' to remain here is because she's with child. Uneg made it clear that once she gives birth he will take her. That is his time frame. We have until our child's birth to...convince...the people that Uneg is god and we must all devote our lives to worshiping him. If Xa'bella or I announce anything to the people that reveals that we are anything but willing to bow down to him, he'll destroy the town. If we try to attack the Seeker compound, he'll destroy the town."

"I take it you've tried to get her off the planet?" Daniel asked.

Corfy nodded. "That night. Both her and Kara'neenya. Tried. And failed. Seekers were watching the Stargate. They killed the guards and escorted Xa'bella and Kara'neenya back to the castle."

"Kara'neenya witnessed the killing?" Keelah was horrified. She still had nightmares of when she was taken and she had been nowhere near as young as her niece.

"No, we sedated her before leaving the castle." He gave a bitter laugh. "We didn't want to risk her making any noise. We've managed to keep the...severity...of the situation from her." He sighed. "An hour later, we paid a...consequence...for the escape attempt. He fired upon the southwest corner of the town. Claimed it was just a small display of the power of his weapons. But it still destroyed ten buildings."

"How many people did you lose?" Jack asked quietly.

"None. We got lucky. That sector is where the families of the King's Guard reside. That night was the induction ceremony of those who had earned their buttons. Everyone was at the castle to celebrate."

"How did you explain what had to have been a massive explosion?" Annika asked. From what they had seen on the streets, the people obviously had no idea of how close they were to being enslaved.

"We said there was an old munitions bunker that held reserve stores of weapons from the feud. We had an earth tremor a couple of months ago, and we put out the story that it must have destabilized the explosives."

Keelah sucked in a sharp breath as something clicked in her head. "That's why you don't want anyone to know of my return. If Uneg found out I am the heir to the throne..."

He nodded, the torment clear on his face. "He would have no reason to wait...he would take you..."

"Over my dead body," Teal'c growled. A sentiment echoed by the rest of SG-1.

Keelah felt a warm rush at the protectiveness of her friends but she pushed it aside, giving her brother a troubled look. "And yet you would allow Xa'bella to be taken in my place?"

"No! I will defend her with my life if necessary!" he said hotly. "But as long as Xa'bella is pregnant we have time to try to figure something out."

"It is an odd strategy for a Goa'uld to use," Teal'c said thoughtfully. "Normally they do not allow a grace period for the people to launch a counter strike."

"What counter strike?" The king let his frustration show. "Our weapons are for ground warfare. The closest we have to a long-range weapon is a catapult. We have no way to launch an attack on a ship in orbit."

"We've found launching an assault from within is easier than trying to break through a ship's shields," Sam answered.

"So that is how you have possession of Goa'uld," he sounded out the unfamiliar term, "weapons."

"It was our weapons that threw a spanner in the works in the throne room, wasn't it?" Annika perceptively asked.

Corfy nodded. "When my guard told me you had the weapons of the so called god, I was trying to determine if you had been sent by him as some sort of test. And then when you mentioned 'lollipop trees', I thought you had somehow been involved in Kara'neenya's abduction, that she was with him. I was positive that Uneg was using her as another hold over me to concede to his demands. Not very logical in hindsight..."

"But understandable at the time," Annika smiled gently.

Jack noticed the puzzled frown creasing Daniel's brow. Add to that, the usual chatterbox of the team had been replying distractedly to the history they'd given and he knew something else was churning around the archaeologist's mind. "Whatcha' thinking, Space Monkey?"

"Hmmm...just about Teal'c's comment about Uneg's strategy." He pushed his glasses up his nose. "There's very little evidence that a Goa'uld of any kind ruled here, besides the text the Light Seeker's found and what is clearly an adaption of a zat'," he waved to the weapon at the Lord Captain's waist. "So Uneg's reign must have been very short...whether he tried to overthrow Ra with the ore, or form an alliance, or boast, is neither here nor there, but obviously he never intended to get imprisoned for seven thousand years. He came back expecting the planet to be under his Jaffa rule, but discovers that his Jaffa have been pacifists until just a year ago and that his slaves not only don't remember a thing about his reign, but are highly trained in close combat because you've been at war amongst yourselves for generations. And the Jaffa until recently conceded to the monarchy's rule. He can't have personal shields for all his men. By sheer numbers you outnumber his Jaffa. Even from what we have witnessed in the short time we've been here, it's obvious that your citizens are very loyal to you. This 'soft takeover', ingratiating himself into the Royal family, validating his position to the masses with your 'acceptance', is the only way he can hope to regain control."

"Ingratiating?" Corfy raised a sardonic eyebrow. "He's blackmailing us."

"But your people won't know that. He made sure of that with his threat to destroy the town."

Teal'c voiced aloud the theory he had reached regarding the Goa'uld's strategy. "The Queen's pregnancy is a very visual display of the King and Queen's devotion to each other. When he claims his position as ruler he would not want anything to remind the people of that." When he paused, those who knew him saw something troubling had just occurred to him.

"T, what else?"

The Jaffa spoke to the King first to clarify what he was thinking. "Your Majesty, are you certain Uneg used the word 'consort' in regards to his plans for the Queen? Not 'concubine' or 'lo'tar'?"

"Positive."

"Traditionally a consort is a lesser Goa'uld. There are two types of people a symbiote will not implant itself into. Children who have not reached puberty and a pregnant woman. I believe it is the chemical imbalance that causes the body to reject the presence of a symbiote."

"But Sha're became pregnant to Apophis," Daniel frowned.

"By that time Amaunet was already completely ensconced within Sha're."

"Implant?" The King paled. "You mean she would become like Uneg?"

Daniel nodded. "Xa'bella will have no control over her own body. She will kill you as soon as look at you."

The pain that flicked behind his glasses at the memory of being attacked by Amaunet through Sha're, caused a shiver to run down the King's spine. As a last resort, Xa'bella had suggested that they may be able to sabotage Uneg's ship once she was taken on board as his consort. Not that he had seriously considered it an option, but with Daniel's quiet declaration it totally buried it as a possibility.

"If you accept our help, we'll do our best to make sure it doesn't get that far," Jack said.

"You have free rein to do whatever it takes to get rid of Uneg."

"Casper, you're looking deep and thoughtful."

"It took them six weeks to spring Uneg from Kinsey. Judging by when he showed up here, it's one to two days travel time by ship...why didn't they rescue him sooner?"

"Perhaps they didn't know what the signal actually was at first?" Sam suggested.

"And where did the ship come from?" Annika added. "Ra would have confiscated the one Uneg originally turned up in on Earth...and we didn't see any sign of flight craft here..." She looked to the King for confirmation.

"We have no such technology. With the Stargate we had no need to develop ships."

Gerino grimaced as recognition dawned. "The tremor, Sire."

Corfy gave a thoughtful pause then nodded in agreement. Hindsight gave seemingly unrelated events significance. "Late in the night a few days after the Seeker's second visit, we had an earth tremor. The entire land felt it. When we investigated the damage, the majority of it was near an old mining area. It hadn't been used for centuries. It looked like a massive sinkhole had opened up and we assumed the old shafts had collapsed. However with what we now know..."

"It was probably a ship unburying and rising into orbit," Sam finished. Knowing how complicated Goa'uld technology was, even for her and she had a mechanical background, she realized why there had been a six week delay in the Goa'uld's rescue. "The Seekers had to learn to fly the ship, learn at least the basics from scratch."

Annika frowned. "Um...having a space ship would have given credence to the Seekers' story. Why wouldn't they have shown that 'proof' to you?"

The King sighed. "I told them not to bother me with tales of fantasy and that I'd have them arrested if they tried again."

"With that threat they probably decided to wait until they had Uneg with them," Daniel said with a shrug. As interesting as the speculation was, it wasn't really the most important issue for them to delve into now.

"How big is this 'sinkhole'?" Jack asked, trying to determine which kind of Goa'uld craft they were up against.

"Half as big as the town," Gerino answered, his eyes going wide. As a sinkhole it was just a geographical anomaly, but if the hole reflected the base of a ship, he could barely comprehend how big the craft really was.

"A ha'tak," Sam sighed. It would have been far too easy if it had been a teltak or even an alkesh. "And we know that it has modifications."

"The phantom hyper-light signatures." Daniel recalled during Uneg's rescue the Prometheus's initial scans had shown over fifty supposed windows having been opened. "Who knows what else has been added?"

"Damn this snake," Annika groused. "Since when does a Goa'uld get so inventive?"

"We need to disable the ship somehow," Sam was thinking out loud.

Before they could start to figure out the ever adaptable Plan A, the door flung open and a tiny person ran in. The little girl slowed when she realized her father wasn't alone, bobbed a flowing curtsy in mid-step then continued her beeline to the King and bounced onto his lap, wrapping her little arms around his neck. "Pa'pap, I caught a frog!"

"Did you now?" Corfy hugged his daughter back. "What did you do with him?"

"We played jumping beans," she said excitedly. "I was going to bring him home, but then I saw another frog, and I think it was his Ma'mam so I let him go back to her because she'd be sad if I took him away from her."

"Very thoughtful of you." Over his daughter's head he looked at Keelah, the pain of the years of separation from her clear in his eyes, as well as the current worry regarding his wife.

Keelah squeezed her brother's shoulder in understanding.

The little princess noticed the gesture and eyed Keelah curiously. "Who are you?"

"Kara'neenya, is that any way to greet your father's guests?" A soft voice chided.

Heads swung around to see a woman standing just within the door. From her clothing it was obvious she was the girl's nanny, though from the athletic build and the way she held herself it was clear she was more than a mere nursemaid. Teal'c would bet that the woman had been militarily trained.

The princess looked abashed, then twisted her head back to Keelah. "How do you do?"

"Princess." There was a hint of reproach in the nanny-bodyguard's voice.

The little girl looked beseechingly at her dad, who simply raised an eyebrow at her, telling her silently that the decision was hers to make whether to act in the manner she'd been taught. Reluctantly she climbed down with a pout. "But they didn't curtsy to me."

"Did you give them a chance before you charged in?" the nanny countered smoothly. "Look at their clothing. Do they look like they are from our world?"

Kara'neenya studied the BDUs of the team then shook her head.

"Perhaps where they come from they do not have the same protocols, but that does not mean we should ignore ours."

The little girl considered that reasoning then nodded in acceptance. She gave a perfect curtsy to them all. "How do you do?"

Jack wasn't one to butt in on other people's parenting tactics and he understood the 'lesson' that had been taught. But in his book, kids should be allowed to be kids. He stood up, then pinched his trousers at thigh level and pulled the cloth out as if it were a skirt, doing a mock curtsy. "We do very well."

The princess erupted into a fit of giggles. "Boys aren't supposed to curtsy."

"We're not?"

"No. You're supposed to bow."

"Well, where we come from I'm a general and we salute."

She titled her head at the unfamiliar term.

Jack demonstrated for her.

A little hesitantly she mimicked the action.

He grinned. "We'll make a general of you yet."

"Another title our precocious daughter does not need." A woman approximately the same age as the siblings entered. From the similar features to the girl and the very evident bulge of pregnancy in her belly it was obvious that she was the Queen. Though her tone had been amused, there were creases of worry on her face that mimicked her husband's.

Corfy was on his feet to greet his wife, the glow of love lighting up his face. "'Bella, I have so much to tell you!"

The Queen's eyes widened at her husband's excitement. The worry that had been marring his features since Uneg's ultimatum was replaced with hope. She looked closer. The deeper sadness that had been haunting his eyes ever since she had met him was gone. "What has happened?" She looked from Corfy to the others in the room, who had also stood at the monarch's arrival.

The King was about to reply when he remembered his daughter was still in the room. As much as he wanted to introduce her to her namesake, he knew that she was too young to understand the need of secrecy. "Kara'neenya, I would love for you to draw for me a picture of your frog friend."

"But I haven't met everyone yet."

"My name is Daniel." The archaeologist teed off, figuring it was the easiest way to have the child leave the room without protest. The others followed his lead giving just their first names without title or rank. Keelah waited until last.

"And I am Keelah, Your Royal Highness." She gave as perfect a curtsy as the princess had done earlier. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

The little girl looked from Keelah to her father. "You look like my pa'pap." She skipped over to the King. "Shall I draw the frog in the pond or hopping?"

"Surprise me." He gave a loving stroke to her hair.

With her nanny in tow, the princess headed for her room across the hall.

"Isn't it?" Corfy's eyes danced with joy. "I can hardly believe it myself."

When the Queen would have dropped into a curtsy, protocol kicking in just as it had for her husband earlier, Keelah reached out to grasp her hands. "Please don't. A Queen, especially one in your condition, should not have to go so low to the ground."

"'Bella, are you alright?" Corfy's excitement dimmed a little when he noticed how pale his wife had become. He immediately led her to the couch.

"It's just a bit of a shock," she assured, though she was grateful to sit down. "Especially with everything...else...that is going on."

"They know about Uneg. And they may be able to help."

"Really?" Xa'bella hardly dared to hope.

"Getting rid of god wannabes is part of our job description," Annika quipped, hiding her puzzlement over the bizarre light show of the Queen's aura. There was something not quite right about it, too many conflicting emotions. The stress of Uneg's blackmail that she become his consort was probably the root cause but she sensed there was something more. She just couldn't pinpoint what it was.

"How is it that you all are here?" she asked in bewilderment.

A second round of explanations was given, though it was an abridged version.

"It's all so much to take in at once," she said softly. "How do you propose we move forth with Uneg?"

"We were just going to figure that out before you arrived," Jack replied.

"I have little experience in battle strategy, so if you don't mind, I will take my leave."

Corfy helped her to stand, concerned by how pale she still was. "Are you sure you're alright?"

She nodded reaching out her hand to cup his face and gave him a tender kiss. "I'm just tired. Our child...children," she corrected, her hand dropping down to her swollen belly, "wore me out this morning, and then the excitement of Kara'neenya's return and the hope of ridding our land of Uneg...I just need to rest a while." When he made a move to escort her, hovering like the devoted husband he was, she gave his arm a pat. "Stay, Corfy. The sooner you have a plan, the better we all will be."

He gave a nod, brushed his lips over hers and let her go. His eyes followed her until she closed the door to her boudoir next to their bedroom. Not aware of how much his love and worry for his wife was reflected on his face, he turned back to SG-1. "So how do we kill Uneg?"

"We need intel on what's going on in the monastery," Jack decided on their first move. "Don't suppose you've had a chance to turn anyone on the inside?"

Corfy started to shake his head then paused. "The Master Trainer of the Guards may be able to assist."

"Oh?"

"Some years back he joined the order as a novice, but he only lasted a year before returning to the castle."

"You just let him waltz back?" Jack wasn't the only one with a suspicious mind. He automatically thought 'spy'.

The general had his doubts given what they now knew of the Seekers, but he nodded. "Would he be willing to try to get us inside?"

"I'm sure he will. I'll have him sent for." He glanced at the Lord Captain who strode to the door, asking one of the junior guards to fetch him. "He knows about the situation. And we questioned him about the monastery and his time there when the Seekers began preaching, and again after Uneg's arrival."

"It's hard to know which questions to ask when you haven't been given the full foundation of facts," Daniel pointed out. "He may have information that he's not aware of."

Jack was delegating. "Daniel, you'll go with us. A snakehead's den, there are bound to be glyphs and writings and rocky old stuff. Teal'c, I want you to study the Seekers themselves-"

"I wish to remain here, O'Neill."

The team leader raised an eyebrow at Teal'c of all people interrupting him.

"Someone needs to remain here to ensure the safety of Her Royal Highness."

Daniel wasn't the only one to notice Keelah flinch at Teal'c's formality. "Uh, Teal'c, there's a castle full of guards."

"I do not trust their security measures." He eyes flicked to Keelah. "And we have borne witness to the consequences of their dereliction of duty."

Keelah gasped, appalled by his cold tone. "Teal'c, take that back!"

"I will not."

Corfy held up his hand forestalling any further debate. "I understand why you all may have doubts about security. I can only assure you that since my sister's abduction security measures were changed and increased."

"And yet," Teal'c countered smoothly, "we were able to take down twelve of your men in a mere few seconds and your kingdom is being held hostage by a Goa'uld."

"That's enough." Keelah's tone was sharp.

"Teal'c, I need you at the monastery," Jack said firmly. "It's not open for debate."

"Sir, I can remain here with Keelah," Sam offered. "We didn't see any women Seekers in the streets, so I'll stick out like a sore thumb at the monastery."

Jack gave a nod of agreement.

"I'll stay too," Annika said. It'd be even harder to hide her sexuality than it would be for Sam, with her long hair and larger breasts, but that wasn't the primary reason she volunteered to stay behind. That haze of guilt surrounding the Queen was troubling. Instinct told her it was important she find out the cause.

Jack weighed up the options. He'd been planning on all of them going, particularly Casper. "Your hocus pocus would be handy."

"I think it'll be of more use here." Annika hoped Jack wouldn't press the issue. Now wasn't the time to reveal her suspicions. "I could astral travel with you?"

Jack hoped that having the ladies remain would settle Teal'c's protective streak because he really didn't want to have to pull rank any more than he had already. When the big guy didn't protest further he moved on. "Tell us more about this Master Trainer."

"He has been in loyal service to the Crown for over thirty years. Fifteen of those as the Lord Captain." He glanced at Keelah. "It's Abner."

Keelah's eyes widened with shock. "He's alive? But I saw him go down when I was taken. There was so much blood."

"He was grievously injured, but he survived...the only survivor. They cut his heel, damned near took his entire foot off, to stop him from chasing after you. He dragged himself barely conscious to the castle to raise the alarm. His convalescence was long and physically he was unable to retain his position as Lord Captain. When he returned from the Seekers, Father assigned him as Master Trainer."

Keelah's eyes filled with pain. "My abduction, that's why he went to the Seekers, wasn't it?"

Corfy nodded. "He was consumed with guilt over his failure to protect you." He paused, debating whether to tell the rest of the tale. "Father had to issue a Crown Order to him, forbidding him to commit suicide."

"And he abided?" Daniel's eyebrows nearly crawled into his hair.

"His loyalty to my family is absolute. He would not defy a Royal Command."

There was a quiet rap on the door, but before the King could bid enter, Keelah rounded on Teal'c. "You can criticize the Crown all you like, but I will not stand for you criticizing its subjects...at least not this man. If you make him feel any further guilt over my abduction I will never forgive you."

Teal'c glared at her but gave a single curt nod.

"I need to hear you promise."

There was a long pause but finally Teal'c spoke, his voice stilted. "You have my word."

The tension between the two could have been cut with a knife and Corfy uneasily cleared his throat. "Enter."

The man who came in, walked with a distinct limp, though the rest of his posture was that of a perfect soldier. "You wanted to see me, Your Majesty?"

"Yes, Abner." Corfy rose. "Why don't you have a seat?"

"Is something wrong, Sire?" It was rare for a guard to be invited into the private residence and invited to sit, even for himself, who had a more intimate relationship with the Family. With a worried frown he limped forward, his eyes taking in the strangers. He didn't recognize any of them, though one was partially blocked from his view by the King. From their clothing and even from just their hairstyles, he could see that they were not of the land. Battle trained though, without a doubt.

"No," Corfy smiled warmly. "Actually today is turning into a day where my hopes have come true. Yours too, I believe."

Abner lowered himself down to the couch, his head absently bobbing in greeting to the woman beside him before looking curiously back at the King. "Mine, Sire?" He was perplexed by the odd look of anticipation on the young monarch's face. He hadn't seen that mischievous gleam since...

"And mine, Abner."

He gave a start at the soft voice of the woman beside him and for the first time really looked at her. Studied her facial features, trying to marry up the sense of familiarity he was feeling. When his gaze focused on her eyes, that were not only identical to the man he called King, but to the girl child he was charged to protect so many years ago, the color drained from his face. "I'm dreaming, aren't I, Sire?" he asked over his shoulder, though his eyes never left Keelah's face. "Had one too many ales in the tavern?"

"No, you're not dreaming," Corfy assured.

"I'm real, Abner." Keelah grasped the shaking hand that tentatively reached towards her. "I'm here."

His hand curled around hers, and bowing his head he pressed his lips to the back of her hand. "Your Royal Highness, please forgive me."

"Whatever for?" She felt a hot tear drip onto her hand.

"For failing in my duty..." he choked.

She cut him off, placing her free hand to the top of his head since her refused to look at her. "I should be the one asking forgiveness. If I hadn't chased after Ra'cheechee when those dogs frightened him...I should have listened to you and let one of the guards find him."

"You were but a child, doing as children do," he dismissed her shift of blame putting it back onto his shoulders. "It was my job to protect you."

Keelah was finding Teal'c's switch of behavior confusing. After his earlier comments it shocked her that he would try to ease the guilt of her bodyguard. She couldn't tell if he truly had set aside the blame of her abduction, but from the glance he gave her, she knew that he had only said it for her benefit. Her stomach did a funny flip flop at the hesitant, barely noticeable lifting of his lips in an apologetic smile to her.

"Did I hear that right?" Corfy frowned.

"Yep, you did. Teal'c looks good for his age, doesn't he?"

Annika's quip drew the Master Trainer's attention away from Teal'c to the rest of the people in the room. Before a third round of explanations started up the King interjected.

"Abner, these people are not only responsible for Kara'neenya's return, but have offered to help us with the Uneg situation. They require your assistance."

"Of course, Sire." Abner's response was immediate. "I'll help in any way I can."

"Sweet!" Jack clapped his hands together. "Now let's figure out a way to get into the snake's den."